Story Tags

Lost Children Archive cover

Andrew Carnegie Medals 2020

During the American Library Association Mid-Winter Conference, the winners of the 2020 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Non-Fiction were announced. The winners will received their prizes in June.  Below are the winning titles.  Copies are available to check out and download from the library. Fiction

Books by Year 1965-1971

What Year is it, Anyway? Part 1

Five books about 1965-1969 music and culture (with the year in the title!)

I love reading about rock and roll, and I love reading about rock and roll in a historical context. So when I noticed a theme emerging in the stacks of music books at our branches, I took note. That theme was "the year as title," a not-so-subtle bid that tells you exactly what you are in for at first glance. These tomes are fun and informative and so full of music-history-as-sociology minutiae, you can find all kinds of facts you did not know before.  

Cover of the book The Complete Book of Coffee

All about Coffee

Books on coffee beans, the coffee trade, and the glories of the marvelous brew

Ah… coffee. A cuppa, Java, liquid lightning… It gets us on our feet in the morning, it’s our afternoon treat, or it’s our all-day fuel and provider of comfort. In the DMV, two-thirds of us drink at least one cup of coffee every day, and the area is home to some excellent coffee shops (and plenty of Starbucks locations too). But how much do you really know about coffee? How are the beans harvested and processed? What are the particulars of the global trade in coffee? What role has the coffeehouse played over time? What are the medical benefits (and hazards) of coffee?

A People’s History of the United States

"Those Who Do Not Remember the Past...."

Nonfiction on forgotten or obscure American history

You’ve probably heard the George Santayana quote, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Or maybe you’ve heard it as, “Those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it.” The following recommendations are focused on the history of the United States and include forgotten history, obscure stories, and potentially niche but fascinating historical facts. From the whitewashing of the American wild west to the creation of the United States Postal Service, every book here is about history you may not have learned in school.  

The Public Library: A Photographic Essay

This is What a Library Looks Like

Books about libraries.

When you think of a library what do you see? Do you picture a hushed building with musty shelves and leather-bound volumes? Yes, that’s accurate in some cases, but libraries can stretch beyond physical spaces; they stimulate intellectual curiosity, provide economic and physical relief, and perhaps most importantly, are intersectional institutions that embody a democratic and cooperative spirit.

The Plantagenets

English Royals and Their Families

Most of us get along pretty well with our immediate relatives. However, if you’re royalty, that might not be the case. Rivalry for the crown can create problems in the best of families, as the following books illustrate.   The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones

Algeria is Beautiful Like American

Bad Lands

Travels to Challenging Places

There are places that we are advised or warned not to travel to. There are places that are unstable. There are places that are downright dangerous and that should be avoided at all cost. Syria and Mali come to mind. Our Department of State keeps citizens abreast with its list of “Travel Advisories.” It’s usually a good idea to take a look at this service before embarking upon a trip outside the United States. I’ve selected a few graphic novels and one other book to highlight traveling to countries such as these.

Book cover for The Ghosts of Eden Park

Not-So-Modern Murder

Less well known historical True Crime

Fans of true crime and history have all heard of Jack the Ripper, Leopold & Loeb, the Black Dahlia, and H.H. Holmes thanks to the many famous articles, books and films about their horrors. But what if you’re looking for a story just as fascinating, troubling and rich with historical detail that may be more unknown to you? Be transported to depression-era Ohio, Victorian London, 1900s New York City and more with these lesser-known historical True Crime stories.  

Uncle Tom's Journey cover

Staff Picks: Forgotten Maryland History

Check out these local history books about the forgotten people and events in 19th century Maryland that shaped American history.  Copies are available to check out from the library system. Uncle Tom's Journey from Maryland to Canada by Edna M. Troiano

unmentionable

Those Wacky Victorians

Any historian will tell you not to judge the people of the past too harshly.  It takes some effort not to judge the culture of the Victorian era though. (At least how it was in Europe and the U.S.) Yes, the Victorian era saw incredible leaps forward in city life, science and culture, but a culture can't progress without making some pretty strange wrong turns. It's all so adorable, and WEIRD, that it's difficult not to laugh at them a bit.

Pages